The National Basketball Association and USA Networks,Inc. Announce Media, E-commerce and...

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2000

Agreement Leverages Collective Strengths of USAi Through USA's

Electronic Commerce and Services To Enhance NBA.com and NBA.com TV

The National Basketball Association and USA Networks,

Inc. (NASDAQ: USAI) announced today a broad media, e-commerce and services partnership, delivered through USA's Electronic Commerce and Services unit (ECS), NBA.com, NBA.com TV and other USA and NBA companies. The multichannel, integrated media agreement will provide for cross-marketing, commerce and service initiatives centered around the NBA Store at NBA.com (www.nba.com) which is being relaunched in Spring 2000. The agreement calls for a multi-year partnership.

The commerce services of USA's ECS unit will provide integrated media marketing, database-driven offers, catalog, and promotion, all geared towards driving traffic and meeting the needs of NBA fans. Additionally, the Home Shopping Network and Short Shopping, both USA companies, will partake in driving transactions on the air. Contextual commerce, an organizing principle behind USAi and the ECS unit, will be incorporated to match commerce and content opportunities that will make NBA.com a full-service destination for everyone interested in basketball.

Included in the specific USA company efforts that ECS will deliver to the NBA:

-- HSN, in the U.S. and internationally, will air NBA programs and

specials, including a series of monthly, one-hour U.S.-based NBA

shows.

-- HSN Fulfillment, will deliver services for NBA customers, based

on 20 years of expertise in providing fulfillment, shipping and

order processing.

-- Short Shopping, will produce contextual commerce spots and

specials for NBA programming, including NBA.com TV.

-- Ticketmaster, will integrate merchandise sales with ticket

purchases, in addition to its continued representation of 27 NBA

teams, and will create and promote a national NBA on-sale day.

-- Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch (NASDAQ: TMCS), will house an NBA

'box office' link to NBA.com.

-- USA Network, SCI FI Channel and USA Broadcasting, will provide

promotion time in support of HSN NBA shows and 'on sale' events.

-- Styleclick.com (NASDAQ: IBUY), will provide leading technologies

and services to enable digital photography in support of NBA

online store product offerings.

-- ECS eSolutions, USAi's new state-of-the-art customer care

service, will be deployed over the telephones and through

NBA.com.

-- ECS Database Marketing, together with the NBA, will develop the

ultimate basketball database for use in marketing activities and

fan activities.

-- ECS Publishing, will produce NBA catalogs.

-- ECS Teleservices, leveraging the expertise of Ticketmaster, HSN

and Precision Response Corporation (NASDAQ: PRRC), will provide

NBA customers with superior service.

-- ECS Merchandising, will jointly develop the NBA store

merchandising and retailing strategy.

The NBA Store at NBA.com is relaunching this spring inside an enhanced NBA.com, reinforcing its position as the Internet's premiere, comprehensive online basketball destination. &uot;The new NBA online store will be a commerce leader in all ways, from sales, to fan experience, infrastructure and service,&uot; said NBA Commissioner David Stern. &uot;By establishing this partnership with USA, we believe we can significantly raise the profile of our commerce efforts across all media platforms, creating a seamless backbone for our commerce activities.&uot;

&uot;This new area of integrated electronic commerce in all its forms is wonderfully illustrated by this new association and our being able to structure it with the vaunted marketing professionalism of the NBA is our great good fortune,&uot; said Barry Diller, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, USA Networks, Inc. &uot;The NBA has always been an innovative leader and we're thrilled to help them blaze this new trail in electronic commerce.&uot;

&uot;This is a true partnership, one that we think we are uniquely positioned to serve, and one that will reap great rewards, for both parties and the NBA fans,&uot; said Jon Miller, President and CEO, ECS. &uot;USA will provide the NBA a multichannel, cross-marketing commerce and service solution, an unmatched combination of assets. ECS will also mange the fan experience through all aspects of ordering, customer care, and fulfillment. All divisions of USA will be involved in this partnership, even the recently affiliated Styleclick and Precision Response will participate.&uot;

&uot;This partnership is a significant component of the rapid expansion and increasingly integrated nature of the NBA's global and digital activities,&uot; said Adam Silver, President and COO, NBA Entertainment. &uot;The revamped NBA Entertainment, which includes the NBA's and WNBA's television, film, Internet, publishing, photos, consumer products, marketing partnerships, media properties and event relationships domestically and internationally, is poised to complete the evolution of the NBA to a digitally responsive global sports, media and entertainment company.&uot;

Prior to this announcement, USA companies have been working on a variety of businesses with the NBA. Said Mr. Miller, &uot;This agreement makes our partnership all the more significant as it joins the efforts and integrates the focus of the involved USA companies.&uot; The partnership builds upon existing relationships as USA Films is the official distributor of NBA video product through USA Home Entertainment and Ticketmaster provides ticketing services to 27 of 29 NBA teams. He continued, &uot;Given the scope of the deliverables, this partnership will raise the NBA's commerce engine to a new level, where integrated marketing, transactions and services will maximize available technology and the collective muscle of USA's assets.&uot;

About the NBA

The NBA, headquartered in New York City, is composed of 29 teams in the United States and Canada and is the model for professional sports in league operations, public service and global marketing. The NBA supports and implements league and team programs and helps develop the sport of basketball around the world. NBA games and programming are broadcast to 205 countries in 42 languages. The WNBA, owned by the NBA, is composed of 16 teams in the United States.

About NBA Entertainment

NBA Entertainment (NBAE) -- the Emmy Award-winning production and programming division of the NBA and WNBA -- is one of the largest suppliers of sports television and Internet programming in the world. NBAE produces NBA.com TV, the NBA's 24-hour television network, and several weekly television shows, including NBA Inside Stuff, NBA Matchup, Vintage NBA, NBA Action, WNBA Action and NBA Jam; creates exclusive content for NBA.com and WNBA.com; and packages NBA and WNBA games along with highlight and lifestyle shows for distribution around the world. NBAE manages the NBA's and WNBA's consumer products business and both leagues' marketing and media partnerships. NBAE also manages the publishing business for the NBA and WNBA, including NBA Inside Stuff and Hoop magazines, children's titles published by Scholastic Books, and NBA and WNBA championship books published by Harper Collins and Random House.

About USA Electronic Commerce and Services

With more than twenty years of experience in electronic retailing, USA Electronic Commerce and Services offers businesses the combined expertise of Ticketmaster and the Home Shopping Network, packaged into a comprehensive suite of scalable solutions for e-tailers. ECS delivers the context, distribution verticals, merchandising, database marketing, teleservicing and online customer care, and a uniquely qualified understanding of customers' needs in the age of convergence, all supported by the media and commerce assets of USA Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: USAI). Contextualized commerce, the idea that compelling content with a compatible product, surrounded by a well-serviced fulfillment infrastructure will link products and individuals in an enduring customer relationship, is ECS' founding principle.

About USA Networks, Inc.

USA Networks, Inc. is a diversified media and electronic commerce company with assets that include the following: USA Network; SCI FI Channel; Studios USA; USA Films; USA Broadcasting; Home Shopping Network; Ticketmaster; USA Electronic Commerce and Services and USA Networks Interactive, which includes the Hotel Reservations Network, SCIFI.com, USAnetwork.com and the Internet Shopping Network, whose primary services are FirstAuction.com and FirstJewelry.com. The company also owns a controlling interest in Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, Inc., (NASDAQ: TMCS) a leading internet provider of local content and online transactions.

For more information please contact Adrienne Becker, 212/314-7254 or becker@usanetworks.com for USA Networks, Inc. and for USAi investors, please contact Roger Clark, 212/314-7400. For the NBA, please contact Michael Bass, 212/407-8769 or mbass@nba.com.